Blank receiving and delivering table.



M. E. PETERS, G. H. FATH & A. F. MILLER BLANK RECEIVINGAND DIELIVERINGTABLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, I916.

Patented Jun I2, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. E. PETERS, G. H. FATH 64 A. F. MILLER.

BLANK RECEIVING ANDDELIVERING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28,19I6,'

Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

pnirnn snares MELVILLE E. PETERS, GEORGE H. FATE, AND ALBERT F.-1V[ILLER, 01? DENVER,

COLORADO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1L2, 1917..

Application filed April 28, 1916. Saris-1N0. 94,209.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that we, MnLvrLLn E. Pnrnns, GEORGE H. FATH', and ALBERT F.MILLER, citizens of the United States of America, residing in the cityand county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new anduseful Blank Receiving and Delivering Table, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to an automatically operating blank receiving anddelivery. table mechanism for blank gumming machines; and the objects ofour invention are: First, to provide a flat table-like member that isadapted to receive the blanks one at a time from their gumming cylinderand in which the blank is held in place on the table by air. suction.

Second, to provide a'simple and reliable gummed blank receiving anddelivering.

table. And Third, to provide a quick receiving and delivering mechanismfor gummed blanks that will receive and hold them in a flat horizontalplane and that will'deliver-and release them automatically at apredetermined point that is adapted to permit'the blank to be instantlyengaged and advanced into wrapping relation with a box in a box wrappingmachine.

/Ve attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanyingdrawings,

in which Figure 1, is a side view of a portion .of a

blank 'gumming machine, illustrating the application of the improvedblank deliver ing table.

Fig. 2,-is a plan View of the blank dc livery end of the machine.

Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional ,view, en-

larged, on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. i, is a front view of Fig. 3, the clamping nut and washer beingremoved.

Fig. 5, is a sectional view, illustrating the table, one of itssupporting rack bars and the gear for operating the same.

Fig. 6, is a side view, illustrating one of the blank grippers in openposition, and the mechanism for holding open and for releasing saidgrippers. And

Fig. 7, is a side view illustrating means for opening said grippers.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings,-

The numeral 1 designates a smooth, fiat top table or plate, which maybe'made of any suitable material, but which we preferably make out ofaluminum, and which extends; across the machine between its side frames2 and 3. Consequently 'this table portion is preferably a flat sheet orblade of aluminum which we will hereinafter'call a'table.

This aluminum table is secured to a reciprocating supporting frame,which comprises the side rack bars 4 and to which this table is securedat the forward ends of the rack bars. These rack bars have a geartoothed rack portion extending along their lower edges from the rear endof the table, and they extend far enough back into the gumming machineto form a suitable sliding support for the table, and they are slidablysupported in suitable bearings 5 that are secured on the side frames- 2and 3.

These rack bars are reciprocated in alternate timed relation to theblank feeding,

gumming and conveying mechanism of the blank gumming machine, which wedo not fully illustrate, but which is fully illustrated in our pendingapplication Serial Number 30,471, vfiled May 25, 1915, for a blankgumming machine, and while this blank gumming and-transmitting mechanismdoes not appertain directly to the subject matter of our presentinvention, which is an improved divisional part of that machine, we deemit advisable to refer briefly toit.

To this end the gumming machine of the above mentioned pendingapplication cornprises in its main features a blank feeding roller 6, towhich the blanks B are fed one at a. time by any suitable automaticallyoperating mechanism. From the blank feeding cylinder the blanks are fedonto a .blank gumming cylinder 7.

This blank gumming cylinder is provided with a supply of adhesive gum,which as the blanks are fed against it coats their surface that liesagainst. the outside surface of the cylinder with a suitable adhesivegum.

one at a time onto an inwardly retreating segment portion 8, of thegumming cyl1nder. These blanks are carried a short distancepartiallyaround the cylinder, to a point where this'segment retreatsinto the interior of the cylinder, and when it does it exposes the edgeof the blank B, which is then gripped by a row of blank gripping fingers9 that are mounted on rotatable bars 91 at the advancing end of aplurality of apron conveyers 10. These apron convey-ers are arrangedinto the formof an endless conveyer, which is mounted on, a gappedtransmission c'ylinderll' at one end, and on a roller 12 at its oppositeend between which the lower side of the conveyer runs over an idler andtightening supporting mechanism,

- around it.

The function of these endless apron gripper fingers is to grip theexposed'edge of each blank at the'gap of. the gumming cylinder againstthe bar 13 when the gap is opened, and then to carry the blank it gripsup over the transmission cylinder, and as they do this the blank isfolded in a naturally curved plane down fiat on'the apron of thegrippers that removed it from the gumming cylinder. The blanks all reston the aprons with their gummed side uppermost; Each blank is thentransmitted by intermittent movements of a length to bring each bar 13,centrally over and within a gap in the end turning roller 12, where itmakes one of its stops, which particular stopping point we term itsblank removing station, and at this blank removing station the bars 9are partially rotated by mechanism 16, by which the grippers are opened,as shown in Fig. 7 and release the blanks, and when the grippers arethrown back to release the blanks, their supporting rod is automaticallyheld by a ratchet and pawl mechanism 17 that locks the grippers ,in' anopen position,

and they stay locked in this open position until released in the gap ofthe transmission cylinder by the cam 14, when springs 18 on the saidbars 9 impart a quick partial rotation to the bars, which throws thegrippers down to grip a blank to the adjacent bar 13. There areconsequently three These gripper fingers 9;v

time the machine is running, 1 t

The instant before the gripper fingers open and release the blank atthis blank removing station, the advancingedge of the blank is grippedby a plurality of air suc- ,tion operating blank gripping tubes 19.These tubes lift the blanks up and transmit them over and deposit themonto the table 1. These air tubes have a reciprocal stroke movement thatdoes not vary in its distance from where they receive the blanks towhere "they discharge them, and we call the point which we have markedwith anarrow in Fig. 1, the discharging pointof the lolanl istransmitting system. This point becomes also the "blank receiving pointof the delivery table, as indicated by 00w in Fig. 2,

cylinder to their removing station all the and box registering movementof our blank a shaft 21, that extends across'the machine and isjournaled at its ends in the side frames 2- and 3 of'the machine. ofthis shaft extends beyond the side 3 of the machine and a pinion 22 ismounted on its end. This pinion is engaged bya vertical rack bar23,;which is reciprocally mounted in suitable slideway bearings 24:,that are mounted on the side of the side frame 3.

To the central portion of this vertical rack bar is pivotally securedone end ofa connecting rod 25, the other end of which is connected to arock lever 26, which will be hereinafter described.

I The table will accommodate blanks of different sizes, from about twoby three inches One end square to about twelve by twenty inches square,and it is necessary that the advancing edge of each of these widelydilfering sized gummed blanks should have their ad- Vance orforwardly-feeding edge deposited drawn from under it on the returnstroke of its reciprocal movement, in which case the boxes areapplied tothe blanks after the table has been withdrawn from the blank, It is alsojust as necessary'that the table grip the blanks and hold them instraight alinement with the. ends and sides of the table even when theboxes are applied to the blanks, while they are held on and aresupported by the table.

()ur invention contemplates broadly any and every and all means by whichblanks as they are delivered on the table are gripped and held for anypredetermined period of time. We preferably however effect this blankgripping, holding and releasing feature of the table in the followingmanner:

Transversely across the table and upon its advancing edge is secured avacuum box 27, which is provided with a row of air inlet apertures 28.We preferably illustrate six of these apertures, but more or less maybeused as desired.

These air inlet apertures extend into the box that issecuredtransversely along the under side of the edge of the table, as shown byFig. 5. This box is connected by suitable air tubing 29 with anoperative air pump 30, that is mounted on the has plate of the machine,and which is provi ed with a piston and rod, the rod being connected tothe lower end of a rock arm 31, which is operated by a cam, that issecured on one side of a disk 32, that is mounted on a'power drivenshaft 33. Consequently the advance edges of theblanks have to bedeposited by the air suction blank transmitting tubes directly down,over and against these air suction blank apertures, which grip and holdeach blank to the table, and the body of the blank lies rearwardly onthe table and the centers of the shorter blanks come into a differentposition from the centers of the in our pending application, Serial No.7 6,991.

The centers of all sizes of the central body portion of the blanks mustbe moved to a predetermined point to receive the box. Consequently .thevarious sizes of blanks that our machine will transmit onto this ta blehave to be moved by the table to a cen tral point, which is the samewith all sizes of boxes that will bring the center ofthe blanks directlyunder the center of the boX, and it is necessary that an adjustablevariable throw mechanism be employed to move the table as desired tobring the central body portion of each size blank directly in alinementwith the center of the box the blank is to be wrapped around, such forinstance as the center of the upper and lower plungers of a box wrappingmachine, of a style illustrated in our pending application Serial Number59,860, filed November 5, 1915, for

a box wrapping machine. .1

There are a number-of ways in which we can carry out this feature of ourinventionbox wrapping machine.

with a slot38, of suitable length, in which is placed a block 39, havingan integral disk 40, which bears against the inner side of the lever,while a threaded stem 41 projects .from the outer face of the block,upon which a washer 42 is placed, and a nut 43 is screwed upon the stem,against thewasher, whereby the block is securely held at any desiredpoint in the slot 38; A stud 44 projects from the face of the washer 40,and this stud passes through the lower end of the connecting r0d'25,which is held thereon by a washer 45, which is secured to the stud by ascrew 46. The desired stroke of the rack bars 4 is accomplished in thefollowing manner:

' The cam 37 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, when the roller35 of the lever 26 is on the lowest point of the said cam; the nut 43 isthen loosened and the block 39 is slid back to the inner end of the slot38, carrying with it the lower end of the connecting rod 25. In thisposition of the. lever, the slot 38 is an arc whose radius is thepivotal point of the connecting rod 25,

as will be understood by reference to Fig. 1.

The cam is then turned until the roller 35 rests upon-its highest point;the lever 26 is then in the position shown in dotted lines, and the rockbar 23 is raised a distance equal to the length of the dotted line Z.'If this movement is not sufficient to give the required throw to therack bars 4, the block 39 is slid forward in, the slot 38, until thevertical rock bar 23 is raised high enough to impart the required throwto the bars 4, through the medium of the pinion 22, and gear' wheels 20.V The block 39 is then clamped to'the lever 26, at this point, and bythis arrangement the table will be carried forward the exact distancerequired to bring the centers of the blanks being run, to register withthe centers of the plungers of a By this arrangement, there is no lostmotion, as the rock bar 23 begins to rise, instantly, with the upwardmovement of the lever 26. Thus when the table is at the farthes limit ofits forward movement, tl1e largest size blanks twelve by twentywill'have their central body portion directly in alinement withthecenter ofaboX,such as this size of blank would wrap around, and ifthe box is on the upper plunger of the box wrapping machine, the blankwill be released by thetable the instant it reaches the full end of itsstroke, and will be gripped by an air suction device that is mounted onthe box wrapping machine. Then when the table moved backward instantlyafter the box machine grippers have gripped the blank,

the blank will be left with its central body portion resting on top ofthe lower plunger. Our table is especially adapted to deliver gummedblanks to our above mentioned box wrappin machine, as is fully describedin that application. v

In the two box and table registering ap-- [plications above mentioned,an adjustable set of box guiding clips is used to guide the box, by handcentrally onto the blank.

wrapping machine. Another system is that by Which the box is placed byhand on a plunger, which then moves downand glues the bottom of the boxto the central body portion of the blank, while it is still gripped bythe air suction blank gripping air inlet apertures of the table,after'which the plunger moves up out of the box but leaves a I.stripper-bar in it until the plunger has moved entirely out of the box.Then an attendant picks up the box'with "the blank glued to its bottom,it having been released from the air suctiongrip of the table theinstant the plunger stripper leaves it, and.

places thebox and blank by hand on the upper plunger of a box wrappingmachine. The third system is that'where the box is registered byhandsbetween'guiding clips directl ,and centrally against the gummedblan as it is delivered on and is held on the table, and is removed byhand from the table. g

The operation of, our blank delivery table is as follows:

r The blanks are fed into the machine to the feed roller andv onto thegumming cylinder,

where they'are coated with gum and are then transmitted onto theconveyer, and from the end of this conve'yer, whichstops each blankbelow the air tubes, which pick them up by eir suction and transmit themhorizontally to and move down with them against-the surface of thetable, which moves far enough underneath the forward end movement of thetubes to allow them to move down between the air inlet apertures of thetable, which deposits the advancing l against the air suction blankgripping aper i edge of the blank directly down over and tures of thetable, which grips them and holds them firmly to the table upon whichthey lie flat. The length of'the reciprocal stroke of the table is thenadjusted so that the table will deliver the center of the centralbodyportion of the blank directly unea ers der the center of thestarFig. 2, which would be the center ofthe size of box the blank isintended to wrap by either one of the above named systems of registeringthe boxes against the center of the blank.

Our invention provides a reliable, very quick adjustable stroke airsuction gripping blank supporting and holding 'table, and

while we have illustrated and described the preferred construction andarrangement of our invention, we'do not wish to be limited to it, asmany changes might be made. without departing from the spirit of ourinvention. I

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is: r

. 1. In a blank delivering table for blank 'gumming machines, thecombination of a whereby said blank is moved and delivered by said tableinto a box receiving position means on said table including air suctioninlet apertures for gripping the blank at its blank receiving station,by an air suction force, and for holding and releasing it at its boxreceiving statio '2. In a blank delivering table for blank gummingmachines, the combination .of a table made of a sheet or blade ofaluminum, provided with a blank receiving station, means forimparting avariable throw stroke from the blank receiving point of the tableforward a predetermined distance varying. with the size of the blank onthe table, whereby said blank is moved and delivered by said table intoa box receiving position, means on said table including air suctioninlet apertures for gripping the blank at its blank receiving station byan air suction force, and for holding and releasing it at its boxreceiving station, said table being provided with recesses in itsadvance moving gripped and'held in box receiving relation when releasedby said table and said table said blank.

3. A gummed blank receiving and delivering table, comprisinga table madeof aluminum having a smooth flat top, means on said table for gripping ablank at a predetermined blank receiving station, and means fordelivering the blank at any predetermined desired point of delivery toreceive a box in wrapping relation to it.

In a gummed blank receiving and de livering table, the combination witha blank gnmming machine, provided with mcansfor gumming blanks ofdifferent predetermined edge adapted to permit said blank to be lIlOsizes and for conveying them to a table re ceiving station, with a blankreceiving and delivering table of aluminum or other suitable material,said table being provided with an air suction blank gripping pluralityof air inlet apertures in said table arranged to grip the blanks one ata time at the tables blank gripping station and to hold to it whilebeing forwarded to its delivery point, means including a cam actuatedair pump operatively connected to said air suction blank grippingapertures of said table, arranged in timed sequence to the blankreceiving movements of said table for gripping, holding and releasingsaid blank as desired, and means including gearing and adjustablevariable stroke cam actuated mechanism for reciprocating said table fromits blank receiving station to any predetermined blank and boxregistering and wrapping relation.

5. In a blank receiving and delivering table for blank gummingmachines,the combination of the blank delivering table, slideways on said gummingmachine, rearwardly extending rack bars mounted in said slide ways, ashaft, gears on said shaft meshing with said rack bars, a pinion on saidshaft,

a vertical reciprocating rack bar meshing with said pinion, means forvarying the throw of said rack bar whereby a variable throw forwardstroke may be imparted to said table, and means including a cam actuatedlever mechanism operatively secured to the lower part of said rack bar.

6'. The combination with a frame, rack bars slidably mounted therein; atable se- .cured to said rack bars, a shaft mounted in the frame, gearsthereon in mesh with the said rack bars, a pinion on the shaft, a rackbar in mesh With said pinion, a connecting rod pivotally connected atone end to said rack bar, a lever pivoted at one end to said frame, theforward portion of which. is curved in an arc, of a radius correspondingto the length of said connecting rod, and having a slot of the samecurvature, a block adjustably mounted in said slot, and having apivotalconnection with the other end of

